January is a time of reflection and action. For those committed to ending human trafficking, it is a powerful reminder of the importance of prevention. This year, we celebrate 15 years of raising awareness and educating the public during National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The 2025 theme, Connecting the Dots. Strengthening Communities. Preventing Trafficking, calls for collective action to strengthen prevention at every level—individual, relational, community and societal.
Human trafficking is a pervasive and complex public health issue that intersects with various forms of violence and social challenges. The 2025 theme urges us to recognize these intersections and take a holistic approach to prevention.
When we knew less about human trafficking, each situation we identified and each individual we assisted seemed like an anomaly among other forms of exploitation that social workers, health care providers, law enforcement, and educators encountered in their day-to-day duties. Human trafficking cases tended to garner a reactive response with no clear lines of responsibility for action.
Today, we’re able to see patterns of trafficking recruitment and exploitation more clearly through data across multiple sectors. Community leaders with lived experience in human trafficking deepen our understanding of inter-related risks between trafficking and other adverse life experiences. Law enforcement describes proactive ways traffickers seek out vulnerability in people, relationships and industries. The call for a “no wrong door” approach — where any community access point is an opportunity for intervention — has become stronger over time.
By connecting the dots between human trafficking and other forms of abuse—such as online harassment, labor exploitation and interpersonal violence—we can better understand factors that make individuals vulnerable to trafficking. Recognizing the role of technology, market dynamics and economic mobility can help us disrupt recruitment schemes and prevent trafficking before it occurs.
The 2025 theme also underscores the importance of strengthening the resilience of both individuals and communities. Building healthy relationships, providing access to resources, and fostering economic stability can support populations at increased risk and create environments resilient to trafficking dynamics.
Throughout January and beyond, we will share information that highlights the intersections between human trafficking and other forms of violence. We will offer resources and strategies to strengthen communities by addressing known risks and increasing protective factors. These initiatives will leverage the expertise of health and human service systems and ensure the conversation continues.
What You Can Do to Strengthen Communities… | |||
Through Strong Workplace Policies and Practices | By Enhancing Access to Services | Through Family and Social Connectedness | Through Economic Mobility |
Think before you buy. Learn which goods may be produced with child or forced labor. Implement sector-specific guidance to mitigate the risk of forced labor in healthcare and public health supply chains. Review your organization’s policies and practices for alignment with U.S. labor standards . Educate workers about their rights and how to report violations. Host an all-staff training on human trafficking. | Volunteer or donate goods to your local food bank or shelter. Tap into your skills and networks to support organizations providing services to survivors of trafficking. Host an all-staff training focused on supporting individuals experiencing emergencies or other transitional experiences. Create a safety plan for your family in the event of a disaster and encourage others to do the same. Share hotlines, resources and information about accessing services. | Talk to your children or students about healthy media habits and common online exploitation scenarios. Take the Surgeon General’s 5-for-5 Connection Challenge . Teach youth about healthy relationships and support parents in doing the same. Mentor and support children, youth, and/or parents and caregivers in your community. Consider becoming a foster parent . | Offer financial literacy programs (PDF) (PDF) to help individuals manage finances, budgeting and saving. Support small business development, microloans and entrepreneurship training. Help families access safe, flexible childcare options. Help individuals request that adverse information related to their trafficking experience be removed from their credit report. Provide legal services for those experiencing violence, including help with housing, family law, securing protective orders, and pursuing vacatur/expungement. |
Review our National Human Trafficking Prevention Month Toolkit for more tangible actions you can take to strengthen your community.
Together, we can prevent human trafficking.
###
This blog was originally published on the ACF Family Room Blog.